Surprise Amendment Could Change Jackson Contract Negotiations

A new bill could change the way union contracts are negotiated at Jackson.

Credit Salvatore Vuono / freedigitalphotos.net

TALLAHASSEE -- A high-profile healthcare bill moving through the Florida House could strip the Miami-Dade County Commission of its authority to make the final decision on labor union contracts at the county’s public hospital system.

The bill originally sought to create new rules for trauma centers, allow skilled nurses to practice independent of physicians, and pave the way for hospitals to use virtual healthcare services.

But last week, a lawmaker from Central Florida added language weakening the role of county commissions in overseeing public health trusts. There’s only one public health trust in Florida: the independent body that governs Jackson Health System.